


State Chaos shorts

by Nightshadow_of_Fernclan



Series: State chaos [9]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Horse Racing, Horses, LGBTQ Character, Mpreg, Multi, Out of Character, Polyamory, Shorts, more light hearted than my others, unedited
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:01:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 7,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28054323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nightshadow_of_Fernclan/pseuds/Nightshadow_of_Fernclan
Summary: this is a collection of all my shorts that are too short to post on their own. State chaos isn't 100% angst believe it or not.
Relationships: America/Japan (Hetalia), Colorado/Hong Kong/Iceland/Massachusetts/Missouri (Hetalia), South Dakota/Montana(hetalia), Texas/California(Hetalia), Virginia/michigan(hetalia)
Series: State chaos [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1266188
Kudos: 2





	1. the annoying song game

**Author's Note:**

> i did not fact check the songs in this one.

Roughly mid 2010

it was one in the morning and even the houses notorious night owls had long since went to bed. Defiantly not the time for the houses PA system to be turned on and certainly no one's phone should have been put up next to it.

I hopped off the plane at LAX  
With a dream and my cardigan  
Welcome to the land of fame excess,  
Whoa, am I gonna fit in?

Colt shot awake as Party in the usa was blasted threw the PA system he could hear River let out a stream of loud curses from her own room on the other side of the wall. He could also hear Michigan's stomping out of her room on his over side. He debated just putting ear buds in and trying to get sleep when the music of choice changed again. 

But there's one sound  
That no one knows  
What does the fox say?  
"Ring-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding!  
Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding!  
Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding!"

“Oh god it's this game again.” he groaned going out into the hallway. The rest of the mid west save for the few that could sleep threw a bombing where gathered. None had the energy to be pissed. They all looked at River. The reign head just shrugged.

“Might as well go a long everyone find the most annoying song you can think of.”


	2. a little alone time CA/TX

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke just want's five minute alone with his lover that it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm loving writing these short little dabbles.

Luke was exhausted. Saying that was an understatement as he was pretty sure he had passed the point of exhaustion hours ago. Why had he ever agreed to be a reign head? Damn River talking him into shit. His little sister had him wrapped around her little finger weather she realized or not. Was it really worth it to put up with this shit though? Ohio had up and vanished for a few days turns out she decided to go on a vacation and not tell anybody where she went. Then some states had decided to make bombs out of baking soda vinegar and paint. Several floors now looked like a two year old's art project. It would take days of cleaning before it was all clean. Tennessee then thought it'd be a good idea to bring a horse into the house... all of this wasn't even scratching the surface of the past twenty four hours. This was the first time he'd even stepped foot in his own house that day.

“At least we're home now.” Calisto wrapped his arm around Luke and he felt his frustration melt away. He pressed some kisses to the top of his partner's head as the shorter man leaned into him. 

“Yeah for some alone time.” at that moment Both their phones started ringing.  
“We're are turning our phones off and letting the girls handle thing right?” 

“Fuck yeah.”


	3. forgiveness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a sad one, kinda. i had a horrible day so here's a sad chapter.
> 
> this is addresses America's OOC behavior in State Chaos.

River leaned up against one of the countless trees that seemed to overpopulate the purgatory that is the Nation afterlife. She had never felt more alone in her life. She had taken a poisoned bullet and was stuck in the afterlife. She wasn't dead for say as her brain was still active and her heart still beat although far too slow to be detected. The fact that the asshole who shot her was a joke of a nation that for some reason clings to life threw a loophole only caused her to feel more bitter. 

River felt someone approach her blind side and sit beside her. She turned her head just enough to see familiar blond hair, glasses, and blue eyes.

“What bring you here Alfred?” Her father laughed sheepishly at her question. 

“York decided that the house needed work so I was on a ladder painting the side of the house when someone knocked into me.”

“Why do I get the feeling it wasn't an accident?” River glared a less than impressed look on her scarred face.

“No..” The mood darkened instantly. “I deserve it.”

“No you don't Allen wanted you to suffer.” River leaned her head on his shoulder. “He cursed you, wanted you to lose the one thing you loved, us.”

“How do you know about the curse?” Tears glittered in the older nations eyes as they threatened to spill over. “ I could never tell any of you about it, I was horrible for so long.”

“Allen was here for a brief time with me. I guess Tex hit him a little to hard.” River let out a bitter laugh. “He decided to rub salt in my wounds and mock me with it. How I threw my life away for you when he had made you hate me.” River leaned farther into the embrace it may be the last time she ever could connect with him in a living manner again. “That and a lot of introspection through the years. You were gone a long time.”

“Never again. I'm going to make everything right.”

“I know you will.” River smiled. “Please do me a favor protect my children.”

“What?” Alfred pushed her back and looked at her. “Why would I need to protect them?”

“Face facts dad i'm likely not going to pull threw. One of them will take my place and I don't want anyone getting hurt because someone acted irrationally because of grief.”

“So that's it then? Your giving up!” Alfred's anger made her pull away. 

“I'm being realistic! I can't reconnect with my body! I'm beyond the point where I can pretend everything will be alright!” River spat back, yeah if there was one thing they both shared was a sharp tong. “Please Promise me!” it wasn't a question and Alfred's face fell.” 

“I think that was the first time you've called me dad in over a hundred years.”

“Like I said I've had fifteen years to think things over. Dad don't blame yourself for this. I would have taken this bullet for anyone. Tex, Jackson, Colt, England, France Germany and one I care about.”

Alfred pulled her back into a hug. “I know, your too much like me.”


	4. Changes (REPOST)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a Repost of my story changes 
> 
> “All I know is that soon there won't be nearly as many horses as there are those things.”
> 
> “I think your losing it Riv.” River just ignored him. It he hadn't learned to believe her visions by now she wasn't going to waste her time. Who cares what she saw. Towns crowded with automobiles, things that flew like birds and carried people with them. People talking into brick-like things. Some people like to to think change is impossible until it's too late and if Tex wanted to hid in his comfort zone who was she to stop him?

1898

River could feel time slow as California and Nevada charged at each other, knives in hand. She looked over a Texas and was met with an identical look of fear that she was sure was on her own face. Without saying a word they moved to intercept the two fighting teens. She just barely grabbed on to California and wrestled the knife from his hands. She dropped it to the ground an stepped on it so that if the younger state broke free from her grasp he wouldn't be able to use it against the other state. This unbalanced her and she wasn't sure she'd be able to hold onto the younger state much longer. Texas on the other hand called to a passing by Massachusetts.

“Hey can you take these knives away?” for once Massachusetts didn't feel the need to throw insults at the two other reign heads. She took the knife from the Texan before turning to River and said state was all to happy to move her foot. Massachusetts, knives in hand ran into the house. Now that she didn't have to worry about her brother getting a hold of the knife again, River was able to get better footing. Great footing in fact, as she was able to lift the surprisingly light thirteen year old. Cal continued to struggle as River hulled him into the nearest structure, which just so happened to be the stable. She threw her younger brother into the first empty stall. The look on California's face was priceless. He went from the most pissed off face ever to looking like a child who had been caught red handed misbehaving.

Apparently the Western state decided sucking up would be the best course of action as first thing out of his mouth was. “Riv...” Or he was going to suck up by using the nickname Texas always called her by until River cut him off.

“Calisto Sacramento Jones. You know I don't like that nickname.” River's dark green eyes burned into the younger state. “Do you care to tell me what THAT was!”

“She started..” He was cut off once again.

“I don't care who started it.” River's voice was dangerously quiet. “How dare you two draw weapons on each other.”

“Why shouldn't I be able to defend myself efficiently?”

“Look..At...My...Face.” Cal did, staring straight at River. Her horrific scaring wasn't something mentioned. Sure the story was known, but it wasn't something that was brought up in casual conversation. The right side of her face was stiff and if you looked hard enough you could make out where bone was exposed on her lower jaw, not quite her chin but close enough to it. It extended past her face to her neck, down her shoulder and down her right arm. The gruesome remnants of a bayonet strike that held more force than any human could dream of. A strike that nearly cut her in half.

“I'm sorry..” Calisto seemingly lost his voice for a second. “I'll never do it again.”

“Alright i'm going to hold you to that.” She lifted the latch on the stall door and let him out. She didn't think she should punish him for something that didn't end up happening.

“Wow you let him off easy.” Tex said as he joined her in the stable. “ I have Olivia cleaning the entire lower floor of the house.”

“They didn't actually use the knives on each other.” River reasoned.” Why don't we take a ride and leave Cassandra to cope by herself?”

“Evil, I'm in.” They hadn't been able to leave the grounds for a while and they both had been going a little stir crazy. As they were tacking up River stopped in her tracks and stopped breathing, which to anyone else, but Tex and maybe Addison would be worrying. Tex however just tacked up a horse for River and waited for his sister's trance to end. When she finally did, collapsing to the ground gasping for air, he took it as his cue to mount up.

When River had recover enough to climb up on her own horse they set off pasted the gates that marked the entrance to the state's property. The road was nothing but a worn trail, grass-less due to decades of daily use. River remained quiet for the majority of their ride, which wasn't unusual as she wasn't one for small talk. It wasn't until they past an automobile, a new rare sight that they started a conversation.

“That will never catch on.” Tex scornfully remarked. Automobiles had been created in Germany a few years prior and was really only a thing the wealthy got as a sort of a curiosity in their area at least.

“I wouldn't be so sure.” River paused briefly. “I've seen it. What lays ahead.”

“Are you sure you weren't just dreaming?” Tex asked skeptical.” I mean how could a hunk of metal be anything other than a one-way ticket to death.”

“All I know is that soon there won't be nearly as many horses as there are those things.”

“I think your losing it Riv.” River just ignored him. It he hadn't learned to believe her visions by now she wasn't going to waste her time. Who cares what she saw. Towns crowded with automobiles, things that flew like birds and carried people with them. People talking into brick-like things. Some people like to to think change is impossible until it's too late and if Tex wanted to hid in his comfort zone who was she to stop him?


	5. Dog Dilemma (REPOST)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Repost of my story Dog Dilemma 
> 
> It all started out so normal, then again it always seems to.
> 
> River's first mistake was allowing Arthur to enter her sanctuary. Her second was allowing him to browse her books. Her third was leaving him to his own devices.

It all started out so normal, then again it always seems to.

River's first mistake was allowing Arthur to enter her sanctuary. Her second was allowing him to browse her books. Her third was leaving him to his own devices.

An animal form was nothing new to River. It was one of the first spells she mastered. She had always loved her wolf form. The thing was she was always in control of it. So when she found herself unexpectedly four-legged she was more than a little shocked and pissed.

“River, don't be mad.” Arthur said as the now Malamute turned snarling at him. Her wolf form was light and bit on the small side as far as wolves go. More like something in between a wolf and a coyote. Malamutes however are huge, strong dogs. River should know as she owns one. Of course Alexander is harmless and more like a throw rug than a dog. River however had no interest in a nap in the sun. “Come on now, it'll wear off.”

'GET OUT!' she snarled. Of course Arthur couldn't understand her, but he seemingly had no trouble interpreting her as he hastily ran out of the cavern and a part of River hoped he'd fall of the edge into the creek about fifty feet below. No luck she would have heard the screaming and subsequent thud as he landed in the dry creek.

She was one of the few who knew the safe way to get down the cliff Carefully placing each pawstep she eased her way down, jumping the rest of the way when she foot holds vanished. Snow crunched underpaw, more flurries falling dappling her black coat with flecks of white. She really had two choices , she could hang out in the forest until the spell wore off or she could go home and confuse the hell out of everyone. She heard barking of other malamutes and it seemed that the choice would be taken away from her as the only person who would be running a team of malamutes was Alexei. Actually River could think of worse things to do while stuck as a dog than pulling a sled.

Trotting out into Alexei's view, River makes sure he saw her before darting away again.

'Hey look.' Amak barked. He was Alexei's favorite lead dog despite being a puppy.

'Strange it smells like boss's sister.' Suka, a white malamute/husky cross whined from the back of the team.

'Adopted sister.' River growled. 'I'm just not a wolf.'

'Really?' Amak barked questionably. Okay he may be a good lead dog, but he was dumb as nails.

'Do I look like a wolf?' you overgrown throw rug, she added in her head. Was this really the lot she wanted to spend her day with?

“Here dog.” She heard Alexei call. She rolled her eyes and trotted out of the overgrowth she'd been hiding in. without stopping she stood shoulder to shoulder with Amak in the hope that the younger state would get the hint. “Do you want to try too?”

'Yes.' she howled as he hooked a spare harness to her. Alexei unhooked Suka form her place in the wheel and hooked her up in that place. 'Your really putting me in the back.'

“Hike.” Alexei called but River wasn't planning on budging until she was in double lead with Amak. If she was stuck being a dog for a while she might as well have some fun. River nipped at the dogs in front of her when they tried to move forward. “Hike.” Alexei called more firmly.

“Come on what's wrong?” He groaned and unhooked her. She bolted to the front and stood firm. “Fine whatever.” He said and hooked her up.

“Hike.” Before Amak could lift his paw River was already straining at her harness. She'd ran dog teams before, but had never ran as part of the team. She had to admit this was fun. No wonder this lot always made a horrid racket when they saw the harnesses being taken out.

“Whoa I wonder where you came from.” Alexei said once they'd gotten home. River just sat in front of him. It wasn't like she could answer him after all.

Suddenly she wasn't sitting anymore and was bi-peddle again.

“RIVER?”

“Blame England.”


	6. Fall (REPOSED)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Repost of my story fall
> 
> Caleb somehow managed to get stuck in a tree, someone has to go up and get him.

November, 1900

“So how are we going to get him down?” It was a valid question seeing as their little brother was stuck near the top of a large cypress tree. How Caleb managed to get that far up, River had no clue. River did know that they'd have to be careful as the branches by Caleb thinned dramatically and while the three story fall couldn't kill them it would be a painful recovery. Pain was nothing new to River so she decided to bite the bullet and volunteer.

“I'm the lightest out of all of us.” She said once again staring up the trunk of the tree.

“Are you sure?” Tex's voice showed no sign of surprise. He was use to River Putting herself in harm's way and in all honesty he just sounded tired. This was about the fifth 'emergency' they had had to deal with that day and it wasn't even noon. “Some of those branches won't hold even you. I'm surprised he got up that far without falling back down.”

“I'm sure, the only others smaller than me are the younger kids and RI, I'm not putting anymore kids in trouble and who knows when RI will be back.”

“Riv's got a point we can't risk sending any of our younger siblings up.” Addison's voice piped up. She had been rather silent the whole time.

“Why don't you go up?” Tex challenged. “You are smaller than River.”

“Shorter not lighter.” Addison pointed out. “I'm about forty pounds more heavy than her.” While this was happening Aaron had the hindsight to actually go and get a the longest rope he could find. River took it from him and started to climb the tree while Addison and Tex continued their little spat. It was only now that River realized she wasn't the best at tree climbing. She very nearly lost her grip more than once when she happened to misjudge the distance to the next branch. As expected the branches got thinner and thinner the closer to her little brother she got. It was becoming more and more clear that she wouldn't be able to get all the way up to Caleb. He would have to come down a bit on his own.

“Caleb, I need you to listen to me.” The only response she got was a quiet whimper and River felt really sorry for the little brother. “When I tell you to I need you to let go.”

“No come get me.” Caleb was starting to panic. River was never good at dealing with emotional children. That was very much a Marybelle thing.

“I can't the branches are too thin.” She would just have to hope he'd understand reason. “If I try we'll both fall.”

“Your crazy.” Then again he's six. River lacked patience in the best of situations, this kid was really trying that gram of patience.

“Look either you do as I say or you fall trying to get yourself down. Your going to fall one way or another at least this way I have a chance to catch you.” A little harsh yes, but it seemed to do the trick.

“Okay, tell me when.”

“On the count of three. One, two, three.” Caleb let go and River just barely managed to grab hold of his shirt. She tied the rope around her younger brother and began to lower him down. It seemed to be a painfully slow process and in the end he only ended up falling three feet at the end as the rope wouldn't reach all the way down.

“Caleb go inside now and stay there.” She head Tex instruct the younger boy and took that to mean that the kid was okay and to start the slow climb down. Going down would undoubtedly be harder than going up. She couldn't really see where she was putting her feet and it was a recipe for disaster.

That disaster can when River misplaced her foot and the branch snapped underneath her and she hadn't had her hand on another branch. She tried in vain to grab a hold of another branch on her way down. She was vaguely aware of pain shooting through her body as she hit the ground a moment before everything went black.

River couldn't quite open her eyes or move any part of her body yet she became aware of her siblings talking around her.

“She looks awful.”

“Thanks for stating the obvious Aaron.” She heard Tex reply dryly. “Why don't we shove you off the roof and see who you feel after.” River was sure she heard a barely audible asshole before she heard Aaron stomp away. “Think we should more her?”

“No Tex, I thought we'd just leave her outside under a tree.” This time it was Addison's to be sarcastic. Then again with the day they'd had it was probably the only way they could keep functioning. Sometimes she really hated being a reign head. They had to deal the dumbest things at times.

“You know what I mean.” She felt herself being picked up. “Come on let's get her inside, it's getting cold.”

“Well this arm is certainly broken.” River swore Eric looked like he was going to kill her over her stupidly. Not really like he should after her arm would heal in a day or two max. All he'd have to do is set the bone. She also thought part of why he was ticked off was because her oh so wonderful siblings had waited until she woke up to fetch him.

“Just set the dam bone.” She snapped. He did so and secured it so it wouldn't move.

“I think I like you more when your drunk.” Eric stated plainly.

“So do I.” She replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was originally going to be part of bad blood and it might still be just from Aaron's POV instead of River's.


	7. Fractured (REPOST)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Repost of my story Fractured
> 
> Missouri and Illinois are at each other's throats yet again and America has has no idea how to stop this centuries old conflict.

America knew he should step in. River and Aaron were facing each other in the middle of a loose ring of states. Blood was pouring down River's face from her likely broken nose, Aaron on the other hand had a busted lip and a cut on his forehead above his left eye. America had to admit he was shocked to see Aaron here at all.

He had vanished over a year prior. Ironically after beating the shit out of River after she had opposed him when he tried disowning his son. Aaron showed up at River's door a week later wanting her to fix his mistake like she had done so many times before. This time however River refused, and Aaron left, went to his state and they hadn't head from him until now. To bad the first thing he did was attack River.

River had an advantage in the openness of the field they were in, easily dodging her brother's blows. America had to admit River was holding her ground well considering she was at a disadvantage size-wise; while yes River was taller by a good four inches, Aaron out-weighted her By a considerable margin. Like a Snake River would charge, hit, and jump backward all while keeping Aaron on her left side. River had lost the vision in her right eye because of Aaron over a century prior and America knew his son was well aware of the advantage getting on River's blind side would give him. America didn't want to give Aaron that chance, but he found himself unable to move, wanting subconsciously to see how this would pan out.

The hits had stopped, for now at least. Aaron was sidestepping trying desperately to get the upper hand by getting out of his sister's line of sight. River was not dumb and was matching him step for step.

“What the hell, Illinois!” He could tell by the tone of his daughter's voice it was more of a statement than a question. The aforementioned state just sneered back as a resonance as if talking to his sister was below him. The Surrounding states which had been cheering and chanting, essentially egging on the fight, quieted. America seemed to find his voice at once.

“Rive...” He didn't get to finish his statement since the second River heard him start to say her name, Aaron took the opportunity to shift to her right side and run at his sister. River was flung a good fifteen feet and from how still she was at first America thought she was dead. Then she stirred too quick to have regenerated. She stumbled trying to get up and America finally broken out of whatever trance held his feet in place ran to help her while Luke went to restrain Aaron. He was not prepared for the state River's face was in. The skin that should be her cheek and part of her lower jaw hung from her face in ribbons. She held her mouth ajar at an odd angle which made America think it was either broken or dislocated. So much blood was pouring from the wound that he was surprised River was still awake. Yes their kind could lose a lot more blood than humans, but they still pass out or die from blood loss if they lose too much.

America started to make his way into the house with River; who was fighting weakly in his hold trying to get back into the fight. About half way to the house she gave up or finally passed out, America really didn't check, and was dragged into the house. It wasn't until the made it into the infirmary that America learned two things, one River was indeed awake, and two she was pissed.

“Why did you do that.” she signed in American sign language which again supported the theory that her jaw was unusable. River knew ASL like all the states and since she had no other way to chew her father out it seemed this was where they were going.

“River things were...” she cut him off and America had to wonder if not being able to use her jaw had fazed her at all.

“I did not start the fight. He jumped me!” this was going to get old fast.

“You were thrown fifteen feet and you expect to just jump head first back into a fight.” In all honestly America knew River was one of his most hard-headed states, which was both a blessing and a curse.  
When she put her mind to something she got it done, but that also means she's beyond stubborn. Then again he was pretty sure he had the likes of Texas, New York, and Georgia to thank since most of her younger years were spent around them and they undoubtedly had the biggest effect on her personality. At least Texas tended to act as a balance to River's more, passionate personality, yeah lets go with that. He knew River tended to be the first in a fight and the last to be pulled out of one. “Please just hold still, we can deal with Aaron when we're sure your okay.” River make an annoyed sound, almost a growl in her throat but sat still so America could see her face.

Her nose seemed to have already healed on its own so all America did was clean the blood up from around her nose. He then turned his attention to her the rest of her face, and as he cleaned some more blood away from the wound he was taken aback by the bone that jutted out of her face. Aaron had hit so hard he had broke the right side of her lower jaw in half. America felt sick, sure he had see plenty of horrible wounds, after all he's seen River almost torn in half and she survived, barely. He knew for a fact he couldn't really do much for this wound, sure if it had just been dislocated than he could have just popped it back in place, but other than that simple stitches and bandages were as far as his medical expertise goes. He really only had two options here. One get Eric and have him take care of it, which would be the faster of the two options, or two call River's personal doctor to fix her up. He knew River and Eric weren't on speaking terms at the moment so he threw that out the window pretty fast. So River's personal doctor it is. There was one problem he need to go to his office to call said doctor and he didn't trust River to stay put and wait.

“Hold on one second.” He said and stuck his head out the door to the infirmary to grab the first state to pass by, who just so happened to be New York. Addi and River got along well and he knew the older state would be able to restrain River if she tried leaving. “ Hey Addison, come here and help me with something.”

“Sure what do..” she cut herself off when she saw the state River's face was in. “Missouri what did you do.” River looked confused.

“What?” She signed. America and Addison just looked at her like she had lost her mind.

“Can't you feel that?” America asked slightly creeped out.

“I haven't had much feeling in my face since 1862.”

“Okay.” America said, changing the subject back to the more important topic. “Addi watch her while I go call her doctor and I can't stress this enough do not let her leave this room.” he then turned and left before River could react to the last minute babysitter.

It actually didn't take as long as America thought it would for River's Doctor to arrive. Then again when you describe the type of injury River had, it was pretty clear that her doctor was need quickly. River had had this particular doctor for a few years, she had been fresh out of med-school when River hired her, which was both good and bad. Good in the sense she wouldn't have to hire another doctor for a while which was one of the downsides to being immortal. It was however bad because that meant she hadn't had much in the way of experience just what she had gotten in med-school. However this doctor was one of the best River's had and most importantly River trusts her. Getting River to trust someone was hard.

River's doctor was prepared from the moment she stepped foot in the door. She quickly knocked River out and ushered America and Addison out of the room.

“Well would you please explain why Riv looks like someone took an Butchers knife to her face?” Addi ask as they started walking way from the now closed infirmary door.

“Aaron came back.” America stated blankly and it seemed to satisfy Addi for now. “I should check on Luke and Aaron.”

“What are you Going to do with Illinois?” Addi questioned as they made their way out of the house. “After all he's liable to continue causing problems. Last I checked he was pretty mad at Missouri for not being his scapegoat. Really is a shame though their relationship was getting better.” America knew for a fact that River and Aaron would never be completely okay. They had had a strained relationship since 1862, well even before then. However 1862 was the year things really went south for them. It had little to due with their states and more to due with themselves as individuals. That's not to say their being states didn't have anything to do with it.

“I'm not sure. If I punish him he'll just turn around and blame Riv.” In all honesty he new the centuries old conflict between the two wouldn't be an easy fix.

“They have to coexist somehow.” Addi pointed out. “I'll admit Illinois needs to stop blaming Missouri for his problems.”

“Was that ever really a question Addi?” Addison just shrugged. “I just wish there was an easy answer.


	8. Parent teacher conferences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written on my phone so sorry if there is more mistakes than normal a little background to start.
> 
> In state chaos the nations are required to keep up their education by getting a degree every decade. Several have let it slip and when the bosses heard one of the states was a teacher now they thought she'd make the perfect babysitter.
> 
> Also this poly ship is weird I know it was just one of the things in state chaos that is self indulgent and really just for myself. 
> 
> Also jia is pronounced G-ah

"Could you run that by me again?" River asked staring at her youngest twins third grade teacher in disbelief.

"Jia is really smart but she needs to apply herself to class participation more. She refuses to speak and insists on waving her hands around." River waited for the punchline. 

'Is this woman serious?' She thought. 'I must have told her three separate times when they'd enrolled that Jia was mute and used ASL to communicate.'

'Colt, Leon, Emil, Cass you four better watch you backs.' She thought remembering her and her spouses conversation that morning where they reasoned that since they'd be handing the high schoolers' parent teacher conference then she could do the one for Jia and Ari. 'I'm a fucking high school teacher of course I wouldn't be able to meet with the other teachers.' 

"Jia is mut.." she got cut off.

"That excuse is not enough. She must either speak up or her grades will suffer." Okay she had tried being nice, but now it was time for bitch River to take over. 

She reached over and slammed the younger woman against the wall. This seemed to remind the teacher who she was dealing with. River, Missouri, a state, a war hero, a former assassin, she was a woman to fear. This was someone who had no qualms about killing. 

"Now you are going to listen to me. My daughter is mute, she physically can not speak. Are you following so far?." With a frantic nod from the teacher she continued. "Second that waving of her hand is American sign language. That is how she communicates. Third I'm sure you're aware of the term discrimination." All color drained from the teacher's face. "I will be pulling both my children from your class until this is resolved with the school board."

"If you bring this up you'll be fired for assaulting another teacher." River resisted the urge to laugh. She was untouchable in that regard. She was working with a huge pay cut. She was making less than a quarter of what her colleagues made. They weren't going to find someone to replace her who would take less pay. 

"I'll take my chances." She stated plainly before dropping the teacher and leaving the room to collect Jia and Ari. 

Both kids had an after school study group so it kinda worked out that river was supposed to take them home anyway.

Ari was the first out of library, slamming into his mother for a hug. He looked the most like Colt, blueish black hair, pale skin and a perfect mix of River and Colt's eye colors. One dark green the other pale blue. 

Next came Jia, River's little clone. Literally she was a identical copy of her mother. 

"Am I in trouble?" Jia signed.

"Why would you be in trouble?" River asked picking up Jia. 

"Mrs. Blackwood said I'll be in trouble because I miss behave." At this point River was fuming. 'Say what you want to me but leave my children out of it.'

"Listen your not in trouble. What Mrs. Blackwood is doing to you isn't right and you and Ari aren't going to be going back to her class." This seemed to relax Jia and River could turn her attention to how to get them home. She didn't have time to take them. It was a four hour round trip and her parent teacher conferences started in thirty minutes. 

'Was dad still in town?' She thought. She did remember him saying his boss needed him for something after school. Not like she had anything to lose. 

"River?"

"Hey I have a problem."

"Did the Dakotas put HK on the roof again?"

"No." Thankfully, she added in her head. "Parents teachers conferences."

"You are my teacher." River had to stop and take a few deep breaths. He isn't that dumb.

"No I have no time to take the Twins home so if you have time could you please come pick up your grandchildren?" 

"Okay no problem. By the way how did their conference go?" River then started to lay out every thing that happened and she could feel her anger spreading to Alfred. 

"I'll be there in ten minutes." He sounded way too eager to get here.

"Alferd, a friendly reminder that you are coming to pick up your two grandchildren and not to murder their third grade teacher." 

"Right I'll meet you at the high school."

"See you there." The high school was a couple blocks away and River had walked to the elementary school so now predictably she now had to walk with two children back. She let her mind wander on the walk as she needed to think of anything but the conference. She thought of the first time Alfred had tried to collect the twins from school. It had been the twins birthday and Alfred had decided to pull them a little bit early. It was the end of the year and River thought nothing of it until the school called her saying someone was there claiming to be the twins grandfather, but couldn't possibly be because he couldn't be older than 20. River had to not so subtlety reminded them that they weren't human. 

River laughed at the memory. She hadn't been a teacher at the time. So much can change in a few months. River was almost relieved to see Alfred waiting in the parking lot for them. 

Ari immediately ran full speed toward him and Alfred not expecting it almost got knocked over by a eight year old. River made sure her laughter was obnoxiously loud. 

"Ari be careful the old man could have broken his hip." River jokingly chastised. 

"I'll be sure to remember that during your next mid life crisis. You have one what? About every five months."

"Alfred F Jones you are so lucky I don't have time to beat the shit out of you." River's words ment little. They were still speaking in the same joking tone. "Do what you want with them just make sure they're home by seven."

"Will do."

*4 hours of conferences later*

"We need to talk." River sat the essays she was grading aside. She didn't have the patience to try and decifer Gilbert's hand writing. "It's about the little twins."

"Oh shit what did Ari do this time?" Leon asked badly hiding his smile behind his coffee mug. 

"It's not with Ari." The worst complaint she had gotten about him was that he talked too much. "I pulled both of them from school because the teacher was discriminating against Jia for being mute." The room was so silent you could hear a feather fall to the ground. 

"You did that without consulting us? Aren't you the one saying we need to communicate?" 

"Ice not the time." Cass muttered shooting the silverette a harsh glare. 

"Let me show you what happened." River grabbed a baking sheet and poured some water into it. At once the day's events appeared in the water.

"Aren't you worried about getting in trouble for the whole shoving the teacher against the wall thing?" Cassandra asked.

"Are you kidding?" River said a slight sarcastic tone in her voice." I am the only one who they're gonna get at less than minimum wage."

"Ah I'll handle homeschooling until this is sorted out. Colt sighed not wanting to touch on the environment that endorses his wife's violent tendencies.


	9. And they're off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kentucky gets over confident in his record of sound racehorses and ends up hurt both a colt and his sister in the process.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a little background on how horse racing works. all horses no matter their birthday on their papers is considered a year older on January 1. this is so all colt's are the same age. the colt in this story was a born later than most colts as his dam was bred later in the year. most thoroughbreds are born in may. 
> 
> the Breakdown rate in horse race is going down each year but bad genes can cause breakdowns and a lot of inbreeding goes on in the breed even if the line has soundness issues i challenge you to try an find one currently for retirement sale NOT Related to native dancer. i was looking at an OTTB for my next horse and just started expecting to see the grandpa of champagne glass ankles somewhere in the pedigree.

Jackson curse a little as he replaced the bandage on the colt's leg. The gray yearling had blown a tendon the second he had decided to time him.   
~three days prior~  
“Look Ken he does feel right.” River said plainly from her place atop the colt. “I know what a sound horse feels like..” 

“He trotted out fine and x-rayed clear.” Jackson interrupted. “Look he's my horse not yours, cool him off and stall him. Take him the whole track tomorrow for timing.”

“I've been exercising your thoroughbreds for over two years.” River said dismounting and undoing the girth. “They may be nothing like my trotters but I know how they should feel.” She started walking the hot colt, his dark coat black with sweat.

“I haven't had a horse break down in a century.” Jackson replied smugly.

“And I haven't had a drink in a week.” River snidely replied back walking away from her brother. “Thing can change.”   
~back to the present~

Oh how he should have listened. The image of the colt stumbling a few lengths from the start was burned in his brain. River had managed to pull him up fairly quickly, got his tack off, and was already checking his legs before Jackson had even processed what was happening.

The colt nibbled his hair snapping him out of his thoughts. 

“I was awful to both you and River.” He mumbled. Hell he had never even named the colt, only calling him the gray or Faithlikefalcon's colt. It wasn't unusual for racing colts to go unnamed up until they raced and a name was approved. Now what to do with the colt. He'd need constant stall rest for months and by that time he'd be two. Testing had decided that the gray would never be race sound.

“Sorry for borrowing your stall Ra.” River's Trotter stallion just glared at the gray colt from his place in another stall. A bow was on the colt's halter. River had done the most of the work on the colt and Jackson had completely disregarded her own expertise. It was easy to forget that he wasn't the only one who know horses. It was a week after her birthday, a month after the colt's accident. Hopefully River wouldn't mind the present because it wasn't her birthday. She was one of the states that had come to find her birthday annoying and tedious.   
“Just make my life easy for once and stay out of trouble.” River would say when someone would ask what she wanted. Jackson checked his watch. River should be heading to the barn within the next hour. 

“What's this?” River asked shocked to see a different horse in Ra's stall. Jackson could barely contain his excitement.

“He's for you.” River turned to him a smile plastered on her face. “You where right when I was too cocky to think about his safety, you've also been helping me for so long and asked for nothing in return.” River pulled him into a hug.   
“We all need reality to slap us in the face once in a while. Sadly an innocent animal had to suffer this time. No one's perfect but Eros will get better.”  
“Eros?” Jackson gave her a funny look.

“I may have been calling him that in my head for a while.” Jackson laughed yeah River was the perfect owner for Eros.


	10. Movie night?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the family movie night is going perfectly or so alfred thinks

“Sorry.” Alfred muttered to Maine as he clumsily stepped over her only to actually step on Alexei, who glared at him. Although it was hard to look intimidating when Luka's head was on his shoulder. The teen gave him a chilling gaze then wrapped an arm around his....Luka. 

Alfred was finally able to plop down next to his own boyfriend. Kiku laid his head on Alfred's shoulder mirroring Alexei and Luka. The basement movie room was pack with all the states, minus Massachusetts. Of course the state's partners and children where present as well. River and her husbands were all compiled into one corner, their children who weren't dating anyone gathered around them mixing into Tex and Calisto's bunch. Lilac, Ari, and Jia all scrunched together chatting a little too loudly with Jia writing on a dry erase board. The other poly group among them Marybelle, Jackson, Cassidy had managed to snag a sofa together. Well they were the other Poly group for right then anyway. He really should be glad Jackson finally settled down, but the poor man was always doing or saying the wrong things and causing a minor breakup. The other sofa's had filled up fast with everyone else relegated to the floor. Alfred smiled he loved having his giant, crazy family close. 

Movie nights where something he had been hesitant to try when Tex brought it up sure he knew certain groups had them regularly and some of the state with kids did too, but surely putting 63 people in a room together had to be trouble. However here they were half way through a film and everyone was still alive. No fights, no deaths, it was a success.

Just as the lights where turned off to continue the film Alfred heard a several thumps on the wall. Spoke too soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> back to more light hearted things
> 
> Luka is NB with the pronouns be he/him and she/her although he prefers her name over any pronoun


End file.
